Safety automatic hand brake



Patented fiept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE BOLIN, 0F SHONE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOB. 0F ONE-THIRD TO COLUMBUS NUNN AND ONE-THIRD 'IO STEPHEN HARP, BOTH OF SI-IONN, KENTUCKY.

SAFETY AUTOMATIC HAND BRAKE.

Application filed August 14, 1924. Serial No. 732,015.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE BOLIN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Shonn, in the county of Harlan and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Automatic Hand Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes for freight cars, and has for its principal object to provide a simple and efficient means for releasing and setting the brakes of the car in such a manner as to obviate the necessity of employing the hand brakes now universally in use on freight cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety automatic hand brake of the above mentioned character, which is adapted to be associated with the air line of the air brake system, means being provided for automatically applying the brakes when the air line is bleeded or cut ofi, additional means being provided for manually releasing and setting the brakes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a safety automatic hand brake of the above mentioned character which will at all times be positive and efficient in its operation, the same being simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable, and further well adapted for the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved invention, showing the same in position on a railway car and Figure 2 is a sectional view of the cylinder and piston operable therein.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the end of a freight car and associated therewith is the air line 2. Also, carried by the freight car 1 is the bell crank lever 3, the free end of one of the arms thereof being connected to the brake rod 4 by means of the chain 5, in the manner well known in the art. Mounted on the freight bracket.

rod 8 which extends through the bottom of the cylinder and is connected at its lower end to the free end of the other arm of the bell crank lever 3.

A branch pipe 10 extends upwardly from the air line 2 and communicates with the top of the cylinder in the manner as illustrated at 11, with reference more particularly to Figure 2, and the purpose of this arrangement will be presently apparent. A cut-off valve 12 is arranged in the branch pipe 10, which extends substantially parallel with the rod 8 for the purpose of cutting off the supply of air from the air line to the pipe 10 and cylinder 6. The release valve sleeve 13 1S mounted on the upper portion of the cylinder 6 for the purposes also to be hereinafter more fully described. The piston rod 8 is provided with rack teeth 14 adjacent the upper end thereof and cooperating therewith is the weighted pawl 15, which is pivotally supported as at 16, on a suitable bracket 17, which extends laterally from the end of the freight car 1. A similar bracket is disposed below the bracket 17 formed at its outer end with the pinion 19 which is adapted for engagement with the rack teeth 14- and for the purpose of actuating the pinion 19, a pawl 20 is provided therefor, the same being carried by the lever 21 which is pivotally supported on the outer end of the This construction provides a step by step arrangement, whereby the piston rod 8 may be either moved downwardly or upwardly.

A11 expansible coil spring 22 is mounted within the cylinder 6 and encircles the upper portion of the piston rod 8, one end of the coil spring engaging the piston 7 while the opposite or lower end engages the bottom 9 of the cylinder. The purpose of the coil spring 22 is to normally provide a means for applying a brake to the wheels of the freight car.

When each of the freight cars are coupled together, the brakes will be released by causing the air of line 2 to pass through the pipe 10 into the top of the cylinder 6, where by the air will press against the top of the piston 7 causing the same to move downwardly within the cylinder against the tension of the coil spring 22, and simultaneously lowering the piston rod 8, so as to release the brake rod l.

In applying the brakes, the release valve 13 is opened, causing a bleed in the air line and permitting the escape of the air from the cylinder 6 through the valve 13, whereby the spring 22 will return the piston 7 to its normal position in the upper portion of the cylinder, and thereby cause the brakes to be applied.

The pawl 15 assists in holding the rod 8 in a set position. The brakes may be further released by manually operating the lever 21 to cause the pawl 20 to operate the pinion 19 which in turn will engage the rack 14 and move the piston rod 8 downwardly against the tension of the coil spring 22.

The provision of a safety automatic hand brake of the above mentioned character will eliminate the hand brakes now universally in use on freight cars, and furthermore will, at all times, be positive and efiicient in its operation.

The simplicity with which my improved device is constructed enables the same to be readily placed in position on the freight cars, and at a low cost.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with the air line of an air brake system of a freight car, a cylinder, a piston head operable in said cylinder, a piston rod extending through the bottom of the cylinder and adapted to be connected at its lower end to a brake rod of the air brake system, means associated with said piston for moving the same upwardly in the cylinder to apply the brake, means for moving the piston downwardly to release said brakes, said last mentioned means comprising a branch pipe adapted to lead from the air line to the top of the cylinder, the air passing therethrough being adapted to force the piston downwardly in the cylinder, and an air release valve at the upper portion of the cylinder.

2. In combination with the air line of an air brake system for a freight car, a cylinder on each car, a piston operable in said cylinder, a piston rod associated therewith and extending through the bottom of the cylinder, the lower end of the piston rod being connected to the brake rod of said system, a coil spring encircling the upper portion of the piston rod and disposed between the piston and the bottom of the cylinder for normally holding the piston in the upper portion of the cylinder whereby the brakes are applied, a branch pipe extending from the air line to the top of the cylinder for admitting air to the cylinder and forcing the piston downwardly therein to release the brake, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism associated with the piston rod for releasing the brake rod and further permitting the operation of brake setting means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE BOLIN. 

